foster



(No Model.)

2 J. T. POSTER.

TOWEL RAGK'AND CLOTHES BARL No. 292,294. Patented Jan. 22, 1884.

- llii llllflliiiilllllilEillllllllliiih? v "iiiiiililiiil JOHN T. FOSTER, OF ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

TOWEL-RACK AND CLOTHES-BAR.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,294, dated January 22-, 1884.

.To 60 zohom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. FosTER, of Arlington, Hudson county, New Jersey, have racks or clothes-bars designed to be hung uphorses for laundry uses, &c.-.and which shall on or fastened to the wall, and which consist of a base-bracket or wall-plate on which ase ries of radial wooden arms or bars are pivoted on a common pin, one above the other, so that the bar may be swung out or diverged-in a fan like form to receive, the towels or other articles to be dried; or, on thejother hand, the bars may all be swung or folded back flatwise against the wall when not required for use.

My invention aims to provide arack of this class which may be made on a larger scale for a heavier and more extensive range of work than those heretofore made such as" clothes possess greater strength. and capacity with ease of management and portability; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, and then pointed out in the claims;

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 presents a plan view of my improved rack with the arms diverged or outspread. Fig. 2 is afront elevation with the-arms all folded fiatwise the arms.

against the base-plate, the outer ends of the arms being represented as broken off. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of Fig. 2 with the arms out off and shown in cross-section. Fig. 4. is a fragmentary sectionalplan or cross-section through the base-plate and the pivot-pin of Fig. 5 is a rear elevation or back view of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a front view of the wall plate or cleat on which the base-plate or bracket may be socketed, and thereby supported on the wall.

In the drawings, a indicates the wall-brackct or base-plate of the device, which, as usual, is preferably made of cast-iron, with a flat back, adapted to rest directly against the face of the wall or other supporting surface.

(1 cl indicate the radial bars or arms of the rack, which are strung or pivoted on along axial pin, 0, which passes successively through the inner ends of each of the bars, and is sup- Application filed March 17. ISFIL (No model.)

.ported at each end in lugs b b, which project at right angles from the front of the base-. plate at top and bottom thereof, in about the usual manner, as shown. The arms (I are thus pivotally supported on said pin 0 in close superposed order, one above the other between the lugs, and are capable, as usual, of being turned on said pin, so as to be swung or out spread in the diverging or fan form, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby each arm is adapted to support somearticle of clothing or other object hung thereon; and when the use of the rack is not required all the arms may be folded back against the base-plate, as shown. in Figs. 2, 3, and 5.

g g indicate links connecting one arm with the next. These links are preferably made in the form of little flat metal plates stamped from sheet metal of anysuitable kind. The broad and flat face of. each plate rests on the top of each arm, and one end of the'plate'vis bent downwardly and fastened to the back side of the bar by a small screw or other fastening, asseen best atg, in Fig. 5, alsoin Figs. 1 and 3, while the opposite end of the plate is bent upwardly, as shown at g, in Figs. 2, 3, 1, and 4, and projects upin front of the next overlying bar, as will be readily understood from the drawings. h, is out out of the top or broad face of the plate, and is bent upward opposite to the back bend, g, as seen best in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, so as to form a stop against which the back side of each barwill strike when folded back, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5. It will therefore be seen that, when all the bars are folded back, as shownin Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the back of each overlying bar will be in contact with the tongue h on the bar next below it, and that the upper bend or front claw, g, on each of the plates 9 y will project up in front of the bar next above it; hence by seizing the top bar and swinging it around, it will contact with the front claw on the plate of the underlying bar and thus swing that .bariwith it, which in turn will contact with the claw of the next lower bar, and so on in successive order, so that when the first bar is moved around to its limit, as shown in Fig.1, all the arms will be properly diverged, as will be readily appreciated. The first bar is provided witha In Fig. 1 the rack is shown extended, and

A small, tongue,

IOC

ject from the top bar, (I, or any other equivacatch or hook, '1', which may be hooked over a pin,k,projeeting from the top of the base-plate, or, rather, from the top of the stepped rim j", which will then hold or lock the several arms firmly in their diverged position, as fully shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that each linkforms a shoe on which its bar rests on the rim f, and thus the bars are prevented from wearing by contact wit-h the metallic steps of the rim, which usually causes the bars to sag and droop downward. The plates thus perform a double function.

If desired, the hook i may be pivoted 011 the top of the base-plate and the pin 7; may prolent form of catch may be used, if preferred.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 5,it willbe noted that the base-plate a is formed with a perforated car, a, at top and bottom, whereby the base-plate may be screwedpermanently to the wall, so as to affix the rack in a permanent position .thereon, if desired. I greatly prefer, however, to have the rack capable of a readily removable attachment to the wall, so that it can be hung thereon when in use and easily removed when not required, and may also be changed from place to place about the walls of thekitchen orlaundry, according to circumstances or for the best position for drying. For this reason I construct the base-plate (t with a large central socket opening or slot. 121, of tapering or wedging form, as shown well in Figs. 2 and 5, with its vertical edges dovetailed, as shown in the sectional view, Fig. 4, and adapted to fit upon or engage with a similarly-formed wedging-plate, a, (see Fig. (3,) having its edges dovetailed at a reverse inelination to match the edges of the slot 122, as seen in Fig. 4. The plate 22 is formed with two screw-holes,.as seen in Fig. 6, wherebyit may be screwed firmly against the wall or other support with its narrow end upward, as will be understood. The slot on in the base-plate corresponds in form with the wedging-plate n, as before described, but is longer than the plate at the wide end, so that the wide end may be easily slipped over the wedging'plate, I and when the base-plate is then pressed down on the wedgingplate the two will become I firmly engaged by a wedging dovetailed action, as will be readily understood by reference toFigs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, thus enabling the rack to be firmly sustained upon the wall in a manner which admits of its easy removal when required. A number of the wedging-plates a may be furnished with one of the racks, so that the plate may be fixed in different positions 011 the mantel or wall about or above the fireplace or stove, or on the walls in convenient or favorable positions for drying, so that the rack may be changed from place to place, as required, or several may be put in use at the same time, and when not required may be easily taken down and put away, thus present ing an important advantage in the way of portability and compactness.

The sides or edges of the slot m and plate a need not be tapering or wedging, as shown, but may be straight but with dovetailed edges to engage in the manner described; but I prefer the wedging form.

-I am aware of the Patents Nos. 54,727 and 92,794, and make no claim to the construction shown therein.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination,withabase-platqa, of the bars d, pivoted thereon, the semicircular stepped rim f, and the chain of links 9 y, constructed and applied to the bars (I substantially as described, whereby they perform the double function of moving the bars and protecting them from wear, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Ina towel-raek, substantially as shown, and in combination with the base-plate a, the pivot-pin a, step partf, and overlying bars d, the series of links 9, secured to the bars (Z and having the projections 1 71, and g, the said links being attached to the bars, as described, so as to intervene between the bars and the steps, the hook 1', and stud 7.", all arranged and adapted to serve as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN T. FOSTER.

\Vit n esses:

CHAS. M. Thomas, Jxo. E. GAYIX. 

